Genuine
antique Thangkas are rarely available even to the
seasoned traveler. They are hidden away in
monasteries (gonpas), temples (lakhangs) or small
family held temples (chokhangs). They are important
objects of ritual worship in Vajrayana (Tibetan)
Buddhism. In a unique attempt to preserve their
exquisite heritage art, two friends, Kishore Thukral
and Sunil Nandrajog have set up an enterprise,
Tusita Divine Art, named after the heaven in which
Maitreya, the Future Buddha is said to presently
reside. Tusita have undertaken to digitally
reproduce the thangkas of the small chokhangs in
different sizes on 410 gsm Hahnemuhle canvas to give
them the archival look. They are then stitched in
the traditional fashion with contemporary fabric,
and each reproduction is sold accompanied by a
well-researched and detailed description written in
close consultation with senior monks and with
reference to authoritative works by scholars of
Tibetan Buddhist art.

A major part of the earnings is given
back to the chokhangs to help them maintain and
restore the originals.

This is an exceptional exhibition
intense in the five colours of Vajrayana Buddhism,
rich in visual symbolism, steeped in ritual and
spiritual meaning.

The
most difficult thing that a people have to face is
to be exiled from their country and have to live on
the goodwill of their neighbours. The strongest
impulse is to retain their language and cultural
heritage.

Chukie was born in Nepal and raised in a musical
family. Both she and her sister were chosen to join
the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA),
Dharmsala. After studying there for 11 years she
became an acclaimed solo singer but decided to run a
restaurant in Nepal and in Holland for many years.

However after her first live concert in Holland in
1996, she has taken up music full time and has
performed solo in several live concerts in Europe,
Canada, Taiwan as well as in the US. She sang at the
two Freedom Concerts organized by Milarepa Fund in
New York in 1997 and in Washington, D.C., in 1998.In
the same year, Chukie with her sister, Namgyal Lhamo,
and friend, Topden Gyatso, founded the group
Gangchenpa. The groups first recorded CD, Voices
from Tibet, was released in 2000. She performed at
the celebration of the 60th anniversary of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama’s enthronement ceremony, in
Dharmsala and the 50th Anniversary of his Assuming
Temporal authority.

This evening Chukie will sing the songs of Tibet
which interest her most from the pure, classical
songs of Western and Central Tibet known as Înangma
toesheyÌ and the nomadic songs of Eastern and North
Eastern Tibet known as ÎLuÌ. She will also sing some
folk songs from different parts of Tibet.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (War,
Famine, Pestilence and Death)
by Viktor Vasnetsov (1887).

The Greek word apocalypse means
"unveiling" and we do indeed live in apocalyptic
times if we watch the number of staggering, hitherto
hidden realities that are recently becoming
apparent and upsetting our traditional vision of the
world order: not only is the only superpower found
to have been bankrupt for several years and to have
lived off the other economies of the world through
irresponsible debt creation but we find that many of
the world's largest corporations, formerly hailed as
examples of transparent, efficient management, are
in fact deeply corrupt and manipulative.
Furthermore,
The Federal Reserve Bank of the US and those of some
other countries should be
seen for what they really are: private credit
monopolies that work for their owners (Wall Street
in the case of the FRB) often at the cost of the
vast majorities, creating bust after boom through
their control of currencies...Eliot Spitzer, the
ex-Attorney General and Governor of New York has
gone on record to say that the FED is a "Ponzi
scheme, an inside job"...Many other such
revelations, even more shocking, are reaching the
wider public.

This illustrated talk will cover
about half a dozen major disclosures, quoting only
official statements and government-related sources
which can only be ignored by those who are in
denial. The obvious conclusion leads us to form a
very different view of the world we live in.

Come Carpentier is currently the
Convener of the Editorial Board of the World Affairs
Journal, a quarterly publication dedicated to
international issues. In 1999, he co founded the
Telesis Academy in Switzerland dedicated to the
study of the ancient wisdom of East and West in the
contemporary scientific context. He has been
associated with the Nuclear Disarmament Forum and
the Foundation of Global Dialog in Switzerland, the
Global Commission to Finance the United Nations, the
Business Council for Sustainable Development in
Paris amongst many others. He has spoken at The
Attic on a wide variety of subjects.

Sitarists
don’t normally sing but Ustad Sayeed Khan received
his initial taaleem (musical education) from
his vocalist father Ustad Waheed Khan and this vocal
style (gayaki ang) is clearly visible in his
rendition of the sitar. He will emphasize this
aspect of his music by singing to illustrate the
style. Both he and his son belong to the ‘Dilli
Gharana of Music’.

He
is a ‘A’ grade artist of All India Radio and has
traveled extensively in the US, Canada, England and
the Middle East. His awards include Sur Mani, Sur
Singar and the Sanskriti award in London.

Adnan Khan received his sitar taaleem under
his grandfather late Ustad Zafar Ahmed Khan Saheb
and is now learning from his father. He has
participated in the Harballabh Festival in Jalandhar
and in festivals in Patiala, Chandigarh, Mumbai and
Delhi.

Tara
is a fully enlightened Buddha, who can be understood
at both the relative and ultimate levels. At a
relative level Buddha Tara displays characteristics
that can be understood by ordinary, conceptual human
minds and she is associated with such beneficial
acts as conferring longevity, curing illness,
stopping wars and giving prosperity. At the level of
absolute truth she is beyond understanding or
analysis. Her true nature is free from mental
fabrication and the relative concepts of space and
time.

At
all levels, from the Hinayana up through the
Vajrayana, Buddha Shakyamuni used the language of
the great Mother to explain the ultimate true
nature. In fact at their core all the teachings of
the Buddha are none other than explanation of the
nature of the Mother. She is given several different
titles, such as Mother of all Buddha’s and Mother of
all Samsara and Nirvana. Tara’s enlightened
activities are numerous and powerful beyond
comprehension.

Tara is known primarily as “The one who liberates”
especially in the form of Green Tara, she liberates
sentient beings from eight fears. Tara’s enlightened
activity has the potential to protect human being
who connects with her practice from all fears and
causes of these fears. She has special resonance as
a source of female spiritual wisdom.

Maa Taram….

Tara practice:
connects our minds and hearts to Mother Tara and
follows the model of her fearless and compassionate
behaviour.

Tara mantra recitation:
Mantra is a profound way of Tara practice. Sound is
a gateway or bridge between the world of form and
the formless. The sacred sound of the Mantra
contains the method and wisdom of the path.

Chamtrul Lobsang Gyatso Rinpoche is a
teacher of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Trained by
many High Masters of different Tibetan Buddhist
traditions, his main Root Guru was His Holiness
Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche from the Nyingmapa School.
Chamtrul Rinpoche has been teaching for more than 17
years to monks and lay people in Tibet, India and
many other countries.

Always ready to give Dharma teachings
wherever they are needed, Rinpoche dedicates his
life to help people find inner peace. Through his
invaluable knowledge and practical advice, Rinpoche
compassionately guides his students toward ultimate
peace and happiness.

In his own words: "Without
discriminating against anybody based on their sex,
race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy
excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my
ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct
of non-violence, which is the indispensable source
for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of
mind. "

Although his main activity is
teaching, Rinpoche also supports his monastery in
the Golok region (East Tibet) and the nomad
population of the area. A variety of humanitarian
projects related mainly to health and education are
currently being developed in partnership with the
non-profit organization (NGO), Bodhicitta.

friday 18th september
- Talk western music- to be confirmed

saturday 19th september
6.30 pm ‘Looking
at Chaunsatha Yoginis : Beauty, Power and Secrecy’
an illustrated talk by Nilima
Chitgopekar

Popularly referred to as the ‘Chaunsatha’ or
sixty-four Yoginis, even though the numbers may be
either eighty-one or forty, this set of goddesses
appear in sculpture in the ninth and tenth centuries
C.E. Within the realm of group-divinities, the
Yogini cult, has sustained its power to bewilder and
captivate. Undoubtedly the inherent arcane nature of
the yoginis, evident in their visual representation
as well as the random mention of them in literature,
is responsible for this aura of enigma. Besides
this, they also share an extremely important feature
with some other female group divinities, that is,
they were not subsumed into the cult of male
figures. In a culture where many an authoritative
goddess was, ‘spousified’, ‘consortified’ or
‘husbanded’, this self-dependence is a trait
brimming with potential to illustrate yet more
varied belief systems and cultural values.
Historically, their apparent appearance at a point
in time and then evident ‘disappearance’ within a
few centuries is still another contributory factor
to their sense of allure. This talk, with the help
of visuals, is an attempt to unravel some of the
mysteries pertaining to the yoginis.

Nilima Chitgopekar is an Associate Professor in the
Department of History at the Jesus and Mary College,
Delhi University. The papers she teaches are, The
History of Early India, The History of the USA and
Transformations in History. Her research, for the
most part, has been in the History and Development
of Indian Religions, which she has taught at the
post-graduate level for several years.

In
her writings and the lectures she delivers, she
tries to unravel the complexity of Hindu gods and
goddesses by combining the study of religion with
historical data, which among other things includes,
mythology, inscriptions, iconography and scriptures.
More recently she has been testing this data in
conjunction with elements of faith.

A
poet, who has been published in anthologies and
journals, she has presented her poems in readings in
India and in the USA.